Capture of the Amazon Princess
by Birds-of-Burgundy
Summary: She was beautiful, fierce, passonate...deadly, an Amazon Princess that somehow becomes Endymion's personal prisoner after the sluaghter of her people. Dangerous sparks begin to fly, attraction builds, despite their own ruthlesness.


Hi again…wow….my stories are just popping up like daises. I'm all excited. And of course I'm working on two other stories, one about a Usagi/Mamoru/Motoki triangle, and the other about Usagi turning into a vampire during the breakup season of sailor moon. But, don't worry…if you were that is…. about me forgetting my first story because I haven't. I'm still working on that one too.

**Summary:** Endymion's mother, ruling Queen of the Arcadia kingdom, is falling further into madness, and it could very well destroy the entire kingdom and those with in it. She's calling war on enemies and friends alike, demanding the stone of ultimate power; a crystal rumored with enough power to destroy entire towns. And while Endymion doesn't necessarily approve of his mothers tyrannical actions it seems all but impossible notto follow in her footsteps. But his new acquired prisoner, a fierce and beautiful Amazon Princess, may be the only one to get him to see the cruelty of his ways and help save his kingdom.Both will learn that there is something bigger than his mother, something evil,that's been in control all along. In a situation so grave and bloody is it possible that they can find love also?

Hehe, gotta read to find out yo!

**CAPTURE OF THE AMAZON PRINCESS**

Chapter 1

"The full moon rises with an ominous shine tonight; see how the face upon it is haunted?" Serenity followed her mother's pointing hand but only saw a moon. Where instead of a face she saw only its many craters, and its shine was just the bright reflection of the setting sun.

"I fear this night Serenity; I fear for you." Selenity dropped her hand and cast large, worried eyes on her daughter who sighed and looked away; upset at her mother's almost prophesized words.

"Must you always sound so morbid? Why is it that you only find the bad in everything, even in the simplest of things?"

Serenity felt her mother's fingertips sweep lightly over her shoulder and she turned to look at her mother as she spoke. "I could tell you happy lies Serenity, but it will only hurt you that much more in the end. I only wish to warn you of the danger you face in the hopes that you will avoid the snake that lays in wait, hiding along your path."

But this answer only made Serenity angrier, because most of what her mother had said was true and everything else she didn't understand.

"I hate when you hand me riddles in place of answers, it makes me feel young and foolish." Her lips turned down into a childlike pout, which made her mother smile softly.

"No, you are not, I have raised no fool Serenity, but you are still young-

"I'm already eighteen," Usagi interjected fiercely, "considered a woman by our tribe's standards!"

But her mother ignored the interruption, "and naïve; you see things at face value. Only years from now, after so many mistakes, will you see and understand what I do."

Serenity glanced up toward the moon once more, uncomforted by her mother's words. Her eyes searched hard over its surface, but still she could not perceive the warnings that her mother found so easily.

She felt her mother turn to leave but quickly stepped in front of her defensively, her keen hearing having picked up movement within the surrounding shrubbery. She unsheathed her sword and held it out in front of her at the ready. Her calculating eyes looked pointedly ahead of her, sure of where the noise had come from, and ignored the darkness as if it wasn't there.

A woman rushed out suddenly with eyes full of panic, and Serenity's sword fell quickly to her side having recognized the woman as her mother's confidante.

"Syrah (sigh-ruh) what's wrong? What has happened?"

"Princess… Her Majesty… an attack… thank goodness… unharmed… we must… to safety at once!" She was out of breath and panicked, and her explanation was a fragmented mess of words.

"How can that be? Why have I not heard the alarm and-" She was cut off by a fierce battle cry, one she recognized as Reilyn's, and she realized right away that there was trouble.

Her eyes grew hard as she looked back down on Syrah. "Explain."

"They came upon us fast and quick with silent arrows and poisonous gas. They made no sound, as quiet as the dead, and dressed in concealing black cloth with deadly intent."

"Who. Are. They?" The words were sharp and full of steel as she gripped her sword with angered impatience, ready to pay back the ignorant fools.

"Men"

The fearful whisper startled Serenity for its absurdity. It had been over a thousand years since the intrusion of men on these sacred grounds. A continuing promise made long ago kept them from doing so. Why would they come now, with no motive, in a full fledged attack?

She grabbed Syrah by the arm and spoke with a careful slowness, "Take my mother and hide away. When you feel it is safe, travel north toward dry country and seek help from the nomads. Conceal your true identity; tell them you are lost peasants in need of help and nothing more. Keep with them until one of our kind finds you. And no matter the circumstance, do not come back here, for anything!"

Syrah's eyes filled with tears but she nodded a resolved yes. She looked back to her mother and gave her a brave smile. "I'm going to join my sisters, find the meaning behind this, but one way or another, I will see you again."

"Sere…" But she didn't let her mother finish. She gave one last meaningful kiss on her mother's cheek and disappeared into the trees, unwilling to look back.

She arrived to find a graveyard of bloodied women and young girls, all which she had known in some small way. Death and smoke filled her nostrils and it was hard to keep from choking on it. Her eyes fell on various mud-straw huts that had been put a blaze and were now only smoldering ashes. She heard the coughing of those still bleeding to death, helpless to do anything but wait for it, and a sickness churned inside her stomach.

She ignored the awful moans and whimpers, and kneeled down to the body of a girl around the age of thirteen or so, who had been shot with an arrow through her heart. Her only comfort was that she had died quick, to busy playing with her dolls to notice anything. Serenity bent down in order to close her eyes, which hadn't even had time to register shock from the attack, and whispered a small prayer.

The moment was broken when she heard rallying screams off in the distance, where her sisters were still fighting. She got up swiftly and brought her sword out to gleam under the moonlight. She took off with sleek agility, moving through the forest floor soundlessly and with little effort, having lived within them for all of her life.

She came upon chaos as she broke through a cluster of bushes and into a wide clearing. Her people were outnumbered an outmatched, the men being twice their size, but they fought valiantly still. There were screams of rage, screams of triumph, and screams of despair and Serenity was wasn't sure from which side it was coming.

She tried searching for her one of her sisters but couldn't find them in the hectic mass of bodies that all seemed the same to her. But she didn't have time to be overwhelmed because she felt a fast movement behind her, and barely had time to block a sword that came crushing down on her. She was left staring into a dirty man's face that was battle weary, but still ruthless.

Serenity saw the surprise in his eyes, surprise that he had been caught, and used it to kick his legs out from under him. He fell awkwardly to the ground and she rushed her sword into his heart before he could gain his wits again. She pulled it out with little satisfaction as he died almost instantly. But again there wasn't time to think over things as she ducked another oncoming blow. They parried once, twice, and then she jumped high to kick him in the chest. He stumbled back and she brought her sword to run across his bared neck.

Again and again they came, tired and sloppy, and for a while it was easy. But then she herself grew tired, her limbs becoming weak, her sword becoming heavy with so much blood. The numbers never seemed to dwindle despite how the battle grew quieter, and it made Serenity fearful. But she didn't have time to think on it when suddenly she stood facing a man with short blond hair wearing a different uniform then the others, nicer. A general's no doubt.

There was plenty of blood on him but she could tell that none of it was his; that made her angry. He was slightly out of breath but he moved otherwise without hesitation. He wore a sneer on his face and his green eyes were glossed over in anger.

"Yours is a lively bunch. My expectations have been exceeded and you've done extraordinarily well, but it's over and yours has lost."

"It's not over until you're dead; or I am." He nodded and she charged, jumping at the last minute for extra force as she struck overhead. He blocked her fairly easily, but was unsettled to find that she had pushed him back a step with her strength, while she went stumbling to the side but still managed to stay on her feet.

She stayed where she was this time, on the defensive, and waited for him to make the next move. He came at her with a calm ease and struck with deadly precision. He was quick and skilled, and she kept up for while, blocking and thrusting, but she was loosing ground and stamina. In one, swift movement she was on her knees and he held his sword high with an arrogant smile. His arrogance cost him time though and she used the advantage to take her sword and slice along his open stomach.

He staggered back, shock and surprise filling his eyes, and she got up with renewed energy. She kicked him, kicked him again, and struck him with her fist across his face. Suddenly, it was now he who found himself on his knees, and her sword pointed at his throat.

But just as she was about to thrust one last time, she turned, having heard the grunt of someone behind her. She blocked what she assumed was another general as he swung at her, this one with long, almost white hair and pale grey eyes that seemed indifferent to everything. He looked to the other who was up and ready again, both with swords pointed out.

She was shaking, on the verge of collapse, blood and sweat blurring her vision, but she would not give in. She took on both and kept them off for a rewarding few minutes, even having managed to cut the second one's upper arm, until her legs gave out. She blocked one last time before the blonde behind her kicked between her shoulder blades, sending her forward, and her sword was kicked out of her hand by the taller man who was facing her. Fleetingly, she felt pain like fire race along her jaw before falling unconscious.

The blonde moved to bring the final blow when the leader called out angrily, "Stop Jedeite! She's royalty."

Jedeite was just barely able to stop himself and looked up to kunzite with a spiteful expression on his face. He stood up and sheathed his sword with angry movements and then proceeded to kick her in the side for good measure.

Kunzite rolled his eyes at the childish gesture and whistled someone over. An older man in his late forties with ruddy sunken eyes walked over, breathing heavily. "Tie her up and put her with the other four. Have them cleaned up by the time they reach Arcadia, I want them presentable for the Queen."

The man nodded and bent down to pick up the girl while the two generals walked back toward their encampment; which was set up on the outer southern rim of the village.

Halfway there Jedeite seized his stomach and stumbled forward with a grunt of pain. Kunzite caught hold before he could fall completely to the ground and became his support the rest of the way.

"How are Nephrite and Zoisite? I'm afraid we separated not long after the start of all this." Jedeite tried to keep his voice casual, in order to avoid Kunzite's reprimanding lecture on how he had acquired the embarrassing injury.

"They're fine, and dealing with their own injuries. They seemed to have underestimated their opponents too." Jedeite felt his cheeks burn at the last comment, but Kunzite either didn't notice, or ignored it, and continued. "There were four women, something like generals I'd assume, who almost had them beaten. If we hadn't had the element of surprise we wouldn't have been victorious." Jedeite stayed quite at this, unnerved to hear Kunzite sound so sure of this.

Men cheered upon their arrival but it was done half heartedly. Most of the men felt no great sense of victory, almost ashamed to have killed so many women unaware. Both generals joined the other two at a fire near by; they all felt the same.

"I wish I understood why we were sent here. I don't like that all this death seems pointless." A man with long blond hair in a pony tail and frosty blue eyes spoke somberly to his brothers as they nodded in agreement.

"I fear that our Queen has become… unbalanced. Everyday since the passing of our King she slips more into madness. She's become cruel and tyrannical and I've seen how she tries to poison Endymion's mind with her lies. Who knows what she'll fill his head with while were not there; it could be the whole point of this excursion."

The other three looked to Nephrite, a man with muddled brown eyes and loose auburn hair that hung past his shoulders, and shared worried faces at his statement. They all silently agreed but kept their suspicions and unsettling thoughts to themselves, in fear that they might be overheard and reported. The Queen had spies everywhere now it seemed.

"We should take leave tonight. I'm anxious to get back to civilization." Ayes were heard all around and they stood up to make a formal announcement to the camp. They set off an hour later with a heaviness in their steps, not entirely having to do with the added weight of the extra cargo they carried with them.

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Endymion, presently, stood to the left of his mother's high, golden-marble thrown, while the rich and wealthy feasted and danced before him. Courtiers donned bright and festive costumes made of the finest silks in light of a celebration to honor their brave soldiers, and laughing voices fought to be heard over the loud, fast beat of the orchestra music.

Endymion let out a bored breath, and shifted in his royal armor, wishing he were out on the battlefield with his generals instead of stuck in this stuffy ballroom. 'The balding fools are probably comparing who has the most gold pieces, or who owns the most slaves, or who possesses the largest piece of land.'

His eyes roamed over the cheerful guests which most, if not all, were intoxicated. Many beautiful women had tried to catch his eye with a wink and a seductive smile, but he did well to show no interest in any of them. They were all women he had bedded before, at one time or another, and once had been quite enough.

Endymion's attentions were very easy to acquire, if you were beautiful, and of rank, and if Endymion had consumed quite a bit of alcohol, but it was very hard to keep his attentions for very long. He rarely stayed with a woman for more than a week, let alone entertained the idea of starting a relationship with any of them. That, of course, didn't stop them from trying to create one with him anyway. The vapid creatures always kept some small belief, or hope, that they might one day acquire his love; a useless emotion, his mother had told him, that would only bring him trouble.

"Love is cancerous," she explained; her eyes hard and contemptuous, "a dangerous emotional falsity that blinds you to reality. I warn you Endymion, you find yourself thinking your in love and it'll be too late. Love, will be your downfall."

Endymion could not mistake the biting bitterness in her tone and had realized quickly that his mother had experienced first hand the ugliness of falling in love. More importantly he knew that his mother's heartache had been caused by his father, who, just one year prior to their conversation, had passed away unexpectedly.

Endymion took a moment to study his mother, who seemed to observe the drunken crowd with a bored, superior expression on her aging face. It was the expression she had worn all his life; especially when she was dealing with him. Still, it was better than the stare of cruel contempt she was subtly becoming familiar with.

But rather than hate her newfound cruelty and tyrannical ruling, he only felt sorry for her, and pity, because it had been his unfaithful, hurtful father who had turned her into this ugly monster she was suddenly becoming. And Endymion was certain that his presence only reminded his mother of him and brought back all the hateful memories of their marriage as well; it left Endymion feeling partly responsible for her condition.

He was pulled from his thoughts roughly by a loud clanging sound. He looked up to find the large wooden entrance doors had been thrown open forcefully. The lively music had cut off quickly, and all of the guests had been startled into silence.

A guard rushed in, bleeding from his belly, and looked up to the queen with terrorized eyes. He was shouting 'protect the Queen' in a hoarse but shrill voice. Nobody moved at first, everyone still in that shocked, frozen state of mind, where no one understood quite just what was happening yet.

They watched, almost memorized, as a small gleaming knife barreled through the air and struck deep into the back of the limping guard. His mouth let out a gargle of blood before he tumbled to the ground in a dead heap. Someone began to scream, breaking some sort of morbid spell, and everyone jumped up in a frenzied panic.

Endymion was the first to get in front of his mother, his sword held out and his body tense. People were everywhere, running in all directions it seemed, and relentless screams echoed shrill in his ears.

A handful of guards rushed up to flank Endymion on both sides, creating a human barrier around the Queen and her thrown. Despite all the madness of movement Endymion kept his eyes trained on the open doors, peering into the shadows of the hallway intensely.

He saw movement, one small figure running swiftly toward the ballroom, and Endymion knew right away it wasn't another guard; the figure was too small. When the person did come bursting out in the light, Endymion couldn't help but be surprised when it turned out to be a young woman, maybe seventeen or eighteen. She was thin, tan, and beautiful.

She wore a mixture of animal furs and black bull hide that covered only the necessary curves of her body. Her hair, the color of spun gold, hung loosely down her back in a mass of curls. Her features were delicate and regal, with high, rose colored cheek bones, a pert mouth with full, satiny pink lips, and large feathery blue eyes that were shinny with anger and adrenalin.

She looked completely out of place, and he would have laughed at the absurdity of it all, if it hadn't been for the two heavy swords she held, one in each hand. Blood, fresh and bright, slid down the smooth edges of both blades in a sort of sick, slow motion; that made him angry.

Their eyes met, a sweet rage filling hers, and suddenly she came rushing forward, pointing a sword lined straight at his throat. She threw the other sword she carried with extraordinary force, and it sailed with a fascinating precision into the heart of the guard who stood directly to Endymion's left. He crumpled to floor, landing on his back, and confused, dead eyes looked back up to Endymion.

She was met with resistance before she could make it all the way to him; more guards, having come up through one of the many secret passage ways, had come to block her path. She slashed her way through two of them instantly, and took only another second to knock her way through a third one. By the forth one she had lost her advantage and most of her strength.

They parried back and forth, until she brought her leg up and kicked him backward. He stumbled back only a pace or two, but the shock of it left him careless and she took the opportunity that his exposed chest provided. The fifth guard rushed her, his sword poised high as if to chop her to pieces. The move was careless and by all rights she should have run him through; but she didn't. Instead, she dropped low and swung her leg out to trip him onto his back.

He was left winded and dazed, and he barely realized when the hilt of the woman's sword came down hard to smash in his face. Blood spurted from him nose and mouth, and he gave a hoarse scream full of pain. She looked up to find even more guards running in from all sides and knew it was over.

Serenity looked back at the man whose hair was the darkcolor of a crow's wing, and whose eyes mirrored a storming ocean. The knowing smirk on his face promised another time, maybe, but her mind demanded vengeance now. She looked around hurriedly, and saw the man, lying face down, with theknife sticking out of his back, just a foot away. She reached out quickly, and pulled the knife out easily enough.

She gave a little grin of her ownas shehurled the smallweapon directly at his heart. But her satisfaction was short lived, and she was left wanting to howl in rage, as she watched him catch the knife with his hand just before it could pierce his heart.

She was grabbed from behind before she could do anything else, her head pulled back roughly by her hair, and twenty swords were pointed at her throat. She kept still, her breathing heavy and hitched, and she kept her eyes toward the ceiling.

It was when the men began to pull away that she brought her eyes down to look directly into those of the man who approached her. She felt her anger grow hot at his amused stare.

"For one so small you've caused quite a lot of trouble. You killed at least five good men and all for what exactly? Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

His voice was adeep drawl that left her infuriated, but she kept her mouth shut tight. He gave a small nod, as if to say 'okay, if that's the way you want it than I have no choice', and when he stepped back she felt a brief sharp pain explode in the back of her head before blackness engulfed her for the second time that night.

Endymion watched as the girl lurched forward, completely limp, and saw that Kunzite had to pick her up in a cradle to support her weight. He moved to pass her on to another guard, where he was sure she would be placed in the prison's Hole; which happened to be a ten foot deep drywell that left you in a suffocating darkness smelling of rotted meat and decaying bodies.

He held up a hand to stop them, "Lock her up securely and bring her to my chambers; by the fireplace should do." Kunzite was the only one to give him a disapproving stare, but he said nothing. Endymion's tone had left no room for argument.

So Endymion watched them start to cart her off again and was left wondering just what the hell he was going to with the girl now.

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He Ho He ………. So what do you think of this one so far? As always please let me know what you think via reviews. I'm pretty happy with the first chapter, and the next one won't much violence… if at all. Thanks!


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